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Vegetable prices skyrocket as supply plummets

13 Dec 2021

  • Supply to economic centres down by 85%: Traders
  • Customers deterred by exorbitant prices
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Despite the ban on the importation of chemical fertiliser and agrochemicals having been lifted by the Government, traders and consumers have pointed out that vegetable prices are continuing to rise abnormally in the market, as the supply to economic centres has dropped drastically. Speaking to the media yesterday (13), traders at economic centres said: “The average supply of vegetables to economic centres has reduced by about 85% so far, but it is not possible to sell even that small quantity of vegetables as prices are rising daily.” Peliyagoda Manning Traders’ Association Chief Organiser Anil Indrajith said that customers who come to buy vegetables turn back after knowing their prices. “Consumers are coming in large numbers, but at the current prices, they can’t afford to buy vegetables, so most of them go back,” he added. Consumers in several areas, meanwhile, complained that vegetables are too expensive to buy. “For example, 250 g of beans cost between Rs. 120 and Rs. 150. How can the people survive in this situation?” they queried. According to data available on the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) website, as of 10 December 2021, the wholesale price of a kilo of beans in the Manning Market was priced at Rs. 275, a kilo of carrot at Rs. 260, a kilo of cabbage at Rs. 310, a kilo of tomato at Rs. 410, a kilo of eggplant at Rs. 250, a kilo of pumpkin at Rs. 50, a kilo of snake gourd at Rs. 250, a kilo of green chillie at Rs. 425, and a kilo of lime at Rs. 215. In addition, the wholesale prices of vegetables at the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Centre were Rs. 315 per kilo of beans, Rs. 275 per kilo of carrot, Rs. 245 per kilo of cabbage, Rs. 345 per kilo of tomato, Rs. 295 per kilo of eggplant, Rs. 38 per kilo of pumpkin, Rs. 245 per kilo of snake gourd, Rs. 525 per kilo of green chillie, and Rs. 175 per kilo of lime. The retail prices at Pettah were Rs. 325 per kilo of beans, Rs. 310 per kilo of carrot, Rs. 375 per kilo of cabbage, Rs. 475 per kilo of tomato, Rs. 290 per kilo of eggplant, Rs. 80 per kilo of pumpkin, Rs. 280 per kilo of snake gourd, Rs. 525 per kilo of green chillie, and Rs. 265 per kilo of lime. The highest retail prices were recorded from the Narahenpita Economic Centre, where the retail price of a kilo of beans was priced at Rs. 360, a kilo of carrot at Rs. 360, a kilo of cabbage at Rs. 400, a kilo of tomato at Rs. 480, a kilo of eggplant at Rs. 360, a kilo of pumpkin at Rs. 90, a kilo of snake gourd at Rs. 320, a kilo of green chillie at Rs. 700, and a kilo of lime at Rs. 600. Meanwhile, commenting on the vegetable prices during a recent media briefing, Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage suggested that the rise in prices was seasonal. “The prices of vegetables usually go up in November and December, because this is not a period of vegetable harvests. A month ago, the vegetable prices went up when it came to the organic fertiliser issue, but the prices of vegetables went down as soon as we said chemical fertiliser would be imported. This is a social opinion that is being formed,” he claimed. A proposal to ban the use and importation of chemical fertiliser, pesticides, and herbicides/weedicides was submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the same was granted approval, following which the relevant gazette notification was issued on 6 May 2021. However, throughout the past few months, farmers in several areas were seen charging that there is a serious shortage of fertilisers for their cultivations, and a number of protests have also been organised by farmers’ organisations and various parties demanding the Government to provide a solution to the fertiliser shortage. Against this backdrop, the Government decided to revoke Extraordinary Gazette No. 2226/48 of 6 May 2021, which banned the importation of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals, and to thereby allow the private sector to import the same, with effect from 24 November. Accordingly, an extraordinary gazette notification was issued last week, allowing the importation of organic and inorganic compounds, and phosphorous derivatives of fertilisers.


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